"Machamp, Four Tiger Slaughter!"
"Persian, Shave—Instant Step! Finger Pistol: Shadow Claw Execution!"
After Ron had Machamp launch a preemptive strike with Finger Pistol: Daytime Tiger, he didn't let up. The assault continued with unrelenting ferocity.
Four savage white tigers roared out, charging from four directions to intercept the incoming Team Magma reinforcements.
Disappearing with Shave, Persian moved like a predator loosed upon a flock of sheep—ruthlessly tearing through everything in its path.
Bases like this were usually overseen by an Elite Four-tier Trainer, with quasi-Elite Four acting as operations commanders. Beneath them were the High Elites.
Because of Dr. Kansan's research, Courtney was specifically stationed here for added security.
Now that Courtney was stalled by Steven, and several quasi-Elite Four trainers had been assassinated by Ron and Steven, only a single quasi-Elite Four remained to protect the lab. The rest were just High Elites.
Against Machamp and Persian, such a team stood no chance.
"Nidoking, Lightning Release—False Darkness! Kill that quasi-Elite Four Trainer!"
While directing Machamp and Persian to continue the slaughter, Ron located the last quasi-Elite Four trainer. He aimed to take out the commander first—break their will to fight by cutting off the head.
From charge to release, it took less than a second.
Before he could react, the trainer saw a blinding bolt of electricity pierce through his chest.
"Machamp, Second Gear! Meteor Fist Barrage!"
"Persian, Blink Slash!"
Heat shimmered in the air as Machamp surged forward like a wild stallion off its reins. All four of its arms unleashed ghost-like strikes at once.
No Pokémon could stand against it. Every single one that tried was instantly knocked out—or killed.
With sheer brute force, Machamp cleared a path straight through the defenders.
The commanding quasi-Elite Four trainer fell. Machamp loomed closer.
In the blink of an eye, the remaining Team Magma members panicked. They scattered like frightened beasts, their will to resist utterly shattered.
All they wanted now was to reach Courtney—to survive by clinging to her strength.
"Nidoking, Rock Prison! Don't let a single one of them escape!"
"Machamp, Persian—go into Free Hunt mode. Take them down. I want them all left behind!"
But Ron's voice fell on deaf ears. No one dared turn back.
Their courage was crushed. All they could do now was try to break through Nidoking's Rock Prison and flee.
And with survival on the line, the darkest sides of human nature revealed themselves in full.
The strong pushed forward, commanding their Pokémon to forge a path—hoping to escape first, even if it meant sacrificing others to Machamp and Persian.
The weaker ones refused to die passively. In groups of two or three, they ganged up on the most vulnerable—attacking allies just to gain a few more seconds to live.
Honestly, if these people had banded together with discipline and coordination, Ron would've needed serious effort to take them down.
Even if they tried to run, united action could have overwhelmed Nidoking's Rock Prison and Earth Power combo. Not even a powerhouse like Nidoking could block dozens of Pokémon at once if they attacked in concert.
But they had already lost all reason. Every one of them was simply trying to escape, incapable of working together.
The result? They all sealed their own fates.
"Machamp, Four Tiger Slaughter!"
"Persian, Shadow Claw Execution!"
"Blaziken, Sacred Flame: Shiranui!"
Nidoking held the line, cycling through Rock Prison and Earth Power to block every path of retreat.
The white tigers burst forth again. Behind them, Persian advanced with calm, silent steps—each swipe stealing a life, whether Trainer or Pokémon.
Blaziken shot forward with Shave, then halted mid-stride as it unleashed Sacred Flame: Shiranui. A searing column of fire erupted, incinerating anything in its path.
...
"Courtney, it's over. Surrender now!"
"You and I both know the gap in our strength. Keep resisting, and I can't promise you'll walk away from this alive."
As he issued relentless commands to Metagross and the others, Steven Stone applied unyielding pressure on Courtney.
The battle had dragged on to the point where Courtney no longer had the energy to reply. Her only response was to order Camerupt and the others to launch a final wave of counterattacks with all they had left.
From the moment the battle began, Steven had employed a steady, methodical strategy—applying constant pressure while slowly maneuvering his Pokémon into a surrounding formation. His intent was clear: to trap Courtney, cutting off every possible escape route.
As for the other Team Magma grunts rushing to reinforce her, Steven had casually dispatched two Elite Four-tier Pokémon, and they were utterly crushed—left in shambles.
At this moment, Courtney knew it. She was going to fall here.
But not once had she considered surrender.
Without that kind of loyalty, she would've never risen to the rank of one of the Three Admins of Team Magma.
"Metagross, Meteor Mash!"
"Aggron, Spike Barrage!"
"Armaldo, Heaven Break!"
"Cradily, Wild Growth!"
Steven's voice rang out again, and Metagross instantly began calculating the optimal strike.
It used Teleport first—then launched directly into Meteor Mash.
Courtney's Pokémon, exhausted from prolonged battle, weren't able to respond as swiftly as before. The gleaming burst of light slammed into her Mightyena, sending it flying.
But instead of pressing the attack, Metagross shifted its attention to support its allies, further widening their advantage.
In a matter of seconds, Courtney's defense—already on its last legs—began to crumble.
"Is this all the resources that were stored here?"
Hearing Ron ask, Dr. Kansan silently nodded in confirmation.
"There's no need to destroy this place just yet. Let's go check in with Steven first."
According to the original plan, they were supposed to copy the data and then demolish the facility.
But this base's resistance had proven pitifully weak. Naturally, the plan had to adapt.
...
"Elite Four-level trainers, lead the charge. Eliminate any remaining resistance as fast as possible."
"Yes, sir."
After forcefully breaching the base's main gate, Uncle Rin issued the command to his subordinates, leading the advance himself without hesitation.
...
"Metagross, Meteor Storm!"
Seeing his opening, Steven didn't hold back. He ordered Metagross to unleash its most devastating move set.
Beams of brilliant light rained down like falling stars.
Seconds later, Courtney was still standing—but barely.
Before her, Camerupt was bloodied and battered, on the verge of collapse.
"Metagross, finish off Camerupt. Restrain Courtney."
Receiving the command, Metagross vanished in an instant with Teleport.
Courtney didn't struggle. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. She let Metagross subdue her.
Just then, Ron arrived—and surprisingly, he didn't look shocked at all.
Come to think of it, it made perfect sense.
They were both Champion-level Trainers, but Steven Stone stood at the very pinnacle of that class.
Courtney never really had a chance.
In fact, the fact that she held on for this long—was already proof enough of her extraordinary resolve.
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